


Fine

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-05-01
Updated: 2003-05-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 06:23:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15113630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "The good news is nothing's ever come of the threats yet, but the bad news is that these are a little worse than some of the other ones in the past.  So we're not taking any chances."





	Fine

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Fine**  
**by:** Kasey

**Character(s):** CJ, Toby  
**Rating:** TEEN (or maybe a little more for language)  
**Category:** General, Friendship  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em, don't give a damn if it really resembles next week's ep thread or not.  
**Summary:** "The good news is nothing's ever come of the threats yet, but the bad news is that these are a little worse than some of the other ones in the past. So we're not taking any chances."  
**Author's Note:** For Lieutenant Flip, who is incredibly brave - You've got a whole bunch of people standing with you right now. 

When the President told the three of them, there was dead silence, filled with almost-speech and blank yet scared looks, not unlike after Rosslyn - the sort of look that said "Wait...what? You were kidding just then, right?" 

But it wasn't a joke. 

Josh was the first to speak, as he so often was. "You're kidding, right, sir? I realize you didn't get much of a chance to play any jokes on us at April Fool's time, but this isn't the way in which you should-" 

"Josh," Sam said quietly, beside him, speaking only in low Toby-like mumbles, but his eyes speaking loud volumes. 

"This has been going on for a week?" 

"Yes." 

"And nothing's been done until now?" 

"Not until about five minutes ago, when I assigned her a Secret Service Agent, no." The President held up his hands as if to say "Guys, I understand your objections, but not now." 

They all understood. 

"...Is there a restraining order?" Toby mumbled, and when he received questioning looks, he repeated "is there a restraining order in place?" 

"The paperwork's going through right about now," Leo said, checking his watch and speaking for the first time since the President had insisted he sit in on the meeting. 

"We know for sure then who this guy is?" 

"Yes, Sam, we know exactly who he is. He's been scaring some very public women for quite some time now, including-" 

"...Amy got some threats a couple years back," Josh murmured, suddenly putting two and two together. 

"Yeah. Mostly he seems to go after the well-known, publically strong woman, who's very adamantly in favour of strong women and very against male oppression-" 

"Which makes CJ a perfect target," Sam stated the obvious, sinking back into the couch. 

"Yeah. The good news is nothing's ever come of the threats yet, but the bad news is that these are a little worse than some of the other ones in the past. So we're not taking any chances." 

"Where is she now?" Toby asked, speaking clearly for the first time since he'd heard the news. 

"In her office. Where I'm assuming all of you are planning on racing to as soon as we're done here which'll be in just a second. Before we end this little meeting, let me say this: Give her space if she wants it, don't smother her - this is bound to be scary for her, scary for everyone, but if she wants to be by herself let her, with her Agent standing outside the door, of course." There was a chorus of quiet affirmations. "And if anything more happens, you all may be getting agents as well - we'll have to wait and see." The three men nodded. "You can go now." They all left - trying not to appear overly earnest - and sort of meandered their different ways as to appear not to be racing to CJ's office. 

They all ended up there anyway, which was predictable. 

CJ sat at her desk, her laptop across the room, reading over briefing memos and looking like nothing had happened. But they all knew her better than that. 

Quietly, one by one, they entered her office, not wanting to startle her. "Hey, guys," she said, not looking up from her work. "So I guess you've all been officially... briefed on what's going on. My agent's getting here in about ten minutes, from what I hear, so after that I can actually maybe have people kept out of my office when I leave for half an hour." There was a forced smile in her voice, and silence from the three men. "Well?" She asked when they didn't immediately ask how she was, because she knew they wanted to - she had known them long enough to know that. "Guys, I'm fine. Really, okay?" As if to prove that she wasn't sobbing and broken, she looked up at them, and while she wasn't teary-eyed, her eyes did look like she had been crying earlier. 

"How could you not tell us?" Josh asked quietly. "I mean for cryin' out loud, the things have been coming in for a week and you hid it from us 'til the President assigns you Secret Service Protection? C'mon, Claudia Jean-" 

"I didn't think it was important." 

"You didn't think it was important?" 

"No." 

"A guy was sending you death threats and you didn't think it was important? Just outta curiosity, what DO you consider-" 

"Joshua. Just...not now, okay? I mean you're right but not now." 

"Okay." 

There was another uncomfortable silence, then Sam spoke up. "You want somewhere to stay?" 

"I'm sorry?" 

"I just mean that the guy might know where you live or something, but if you stayed with one of us-" 

"I'll be fine." 

"Plus that'd be one more person who could jump in front of the bullet or something if-" 

"Sam!" 

"Sam, go to your office," Toby growled, seething. 

Sam's eyes grew wide. "God, CJ, I didn't mean to-...I didn't mean to imply-" 

"It's okay, Sam," she said quietly. 

"I just meant-" 

"I know what you meant, I appreciate the sentiment...let's just say I don't wanna be beholden to you, okay?" She forced a smile. 

"Okay," he said quietly. "I'm gonna go to my office." 

"Okay," CJ replied. 

As soon as Sam was gone, Josh started doing what he did second best: Doing spin-control. (What he did best was causing mischief with Sam.) "He didn't mean anything, CJ, he was-" 

"Josh, I know exactly what he meant, probably better than you do." 

"Wha?" 

"Don't worry about it." 

"Ah-kay. If you're, y'know, okay and everything, I'm just gonna...go..." 

"Go ahead." 

And then it was just her and Toby. "So anyway I was thinking, since there won't be much going on or anything around here soon, and it's not like there's much security, ya wanna go see where all we can sneak into in this joint?" Toby just stared at her. "Not funny?" 

"Not particularly." 

"Well you don't find much of anything funny, Tobas, so I don't think you're the best judge of-" 

"CJ, it's okay to be scared." 

"I'm not sc-...Where did that come from? I'm not scared." 

"I'm saying if it were me, I would be." 

"Well one, it's not you, and two, I'm not, so..." 

"Why didn't you tell us?" 

"It wasn't a big-" 

"Don't gimme that, don't gimme that it wasn't a big deal, CJ, it IS a big deal, it's your LIFE, okay? It's a big fucking deal!" She just stared at him as if to say "are you done yet?". "It is a big deal and that's why you have an agent now and that's why you should've said something earlier." 

"Y'know, should'ves really don't do anything - there are always things we should've done but we never did and most of the time it turns out okay? Dad used to say that to me back when I was in school and a perfectionist." 

"Yeah. Have you...Have you called him?" 

"Have I-...Toby, it'd confuse him more than anything right now, not to mention scare him to death when it's-...whatever happens, happens, and maybe for a reason and maybe not but what the hell does it matter? What happens, happens." 

"I suppose but if-" 

"But if nothing. This is...this is what's going on, it's what's gonna be going on for at least a little bit longer, may as well just go about things as normally as I can." 

"Yeah," he replied after a long pause. 

"Yeah. So. I appreciate your concern, but I'm really fine." 

"Okay." Toby started for the door. 

"Toby?" He turned around. "I'm a little scared." 

His lips twitched slightly. "S'okay," he said gently. 

"Just...I don't wanna check my e-mail and he called a couple times so every time the phone rings I think it could be...which is stupid, I know, I mean...how many times does my phone ring in a day?" 

"Yeah." 

"Anyway. It's not like blatant paranoia, here, it's not a big deal..." 

"If you say so." 

"I do." 

"Okay. But I'm right here, or I'm in my office if anything happens. Anything at all. Got it?" 

"Yeah." She paused a long time. "Go do...whatever it is you do." 

"Yell at Sam?" 

"Yeah - go do that." She grinned - a genuine grin, which made Toby almost smile. "I'll be fine here." 


End file.
